Make The World Your Coach

5 reasons why relocation is your best personal coach

For many of us, the sheer thought of moving places triggers anxiety, especially if it gets you out of your state, country or even continent. I have felt this anxiety multiple times – to be honest, I feel it right here and now. But in the end, relocation helps you self-assess and personally develop much more efficiently than any highly paid personal coach. And it contains many metaphors and parallels to emotional and mental relocation.

Here is what I have found happens:

(1) You assess! The thought of having to move all of your “stuff” is daunting. So why do it? Are you sure this is all still “you”? How much have you changed over the last few months and years? Are you still the same person that bought these things at some point? This is the time to become “light” again! No better prospect than this!

(2) You dig and declutter! Who are you today? What are your current values? Your goals? Your aspirations? What will you need to keep on your journey, and what might be better off serving someone else? You will realize that in many ways you have moved on! Many things will turn out to be unwanted and unsupportive mental baggage, visitors from the past that hold you back rather than serving a purpose. Be bold! Throw them out!

(3) You put yourself to the test! Now you’re in there. Moving. All your stuff from the “keep” pile is in boxes (mine are actually scattered across 3 different time zones right now). You’re a little homeless, at least for a bit. Scary? Yes, but very humbling. At no point do you get as close to yourself as this – you are in between worlds, and all continuity that you have is yourself right now. What does that make you feel?

(4) You get first-hand feedback! Now you’re there. New world, new people, new life. Starting from scratch, the setup that you are building and the way new acquaintances will react to you reflect exactly who you are. Right here, right now! No built reputation, no historical baggage, no expectations. How do you furnish your home? What are the routines you keep, drop, create? How do new friends treat and respect you, without having known you for many years?

(5) You create! You are now able to express your very current self in new and innovative ways, making further development possible and reengaging with yourself in unexpected ways. You push a reset button and let your life reboot itself around you, with all its software and hardware customized to your persona.

All of us are on a journey through life, with ups and downs, challenges and successes, and although our core values usually stay the same, we change around them. Modern times make it very easy to lean back and be pushed out of the driver’s seat. This is why many find their lives unexpectedly at a dead end, realizing that at some point things got out of hand, and they were being controlled by their surrounding instead of controlling it.